March 17, 2010
Two long tables that seat about 40 guests Harry Potter-style, line the walls of Camino in Oakland. These dramatic slabs of wood sum up the restaurant itself – friendly and warm. Adding to the drama are two stone grills at the back of the restaurant in full view of the guests and four huge chandaliers […]
March 16, 2010
Umamimart finally relaunched last month. We made it! It’s now, I hope, faster and easier to navigate for ya’ll– and of course, so much prettier. Although we’re still tirelessly trying to work out the kinks, I think this move marks a new era for Umamimart. Heck Yah! To celebrate, I made a pitstop to NYC […]
March 12, 2010
One of my obsessions since moving to Berkeley is to find good Vietnamese food in the East Bay. I made my rounds in Downtown Berkeley with no luck whatsoever. Establishments including Pho Hoa, Saigon Express and Le Regal shamelessly use powdered broth as their soup base (at least it tastes like it) leaving my mouth […]
March 9, 2010
Thankfully made it to the Sazerac Bar in the historic Roosevelt Hotel. We weren’t going to have enough time to go, but I managed to sneak in on my last day in town. The space is just so majestic and enchanting! The hotel itself has quite a history. Opened in 1893 as “The Grunewald”, it […]
March 8, 2010
We were wandering around on Frenchmen Street, an area right next to the French Quarter that gets just is known to get spankrockinwild for Mardi Gras. While we sauntered in and out of bars and talked to crazy people on the streets in colorful wigs, I saw this sign on neon poster paper. If you […]
March 3, 2010
Had the best burger I’ve had in my entire life in NOLA. I am being very serious right now. THE BEST. My friends swore they had taken me to Port of Call the last time I was in town, but I definitely had never been here before. I would have remembered this burger. And this […]
February 25, 2010
Had a chance to go see my acupuncturist in Chinatown while I was in NYC. My body is falling apart on me these days from being on my feet all day, everyday. Dr. Wu on Baxter– he’s the best! So as is my Chinatown/Dr. Wu ritual, I went out for my XLB fix. There’s nothing […]
February 19, 2010
As my plane hovered over Gotham City yesterday, descending into Newark, I felt a sense of ease. I was home. That’s an annoying thing to say, coming from someone who abandoned the city for really no good reason– but in my heart of hearts, I am a New Yorker. What’s the first thing I did, […]
February 16, 2010
I made it! After a horrible 15-hour trip yesterday to get here (SFO –> LAX –> DFW –> MSY; Damn you, American Airlines!), I’m here! My first night was totally awesome– fireworks, bloody marys, red beans and rice, waving to Harry Connick Jr. and Sean Payton on floats. We made a pitstop for a drink […]